Until There Was You

Chapter 11

Melinda goes back to pick up her step-dad's car the next afternoon, hoping it'll be fixed as she desperately needs to do that week's food shopping. Her mum has been laying into her about there being no food in the house, or alcohol in the fridge, and she doesn't know how much more of her whinging she can take. If Tristan hasn't managed to finish fixing it she doesn't know what she's going to do.

But at the same time she's a little nervous as she thinks back to the day before, and the sight Tristan had witnessed when he had dropped her off back home. She knows he's bound to bring it up, but she's not sure she'll be able to talk about it. She rarely talks about her home life to anyone, in fear that they will bombard her with questions.

When she finally turns up at the garage on foot she sees her step-dad's car is parked out front, and Tristan is waiting for her. He's sitting on an overturned barrel while drinking from a bottle of water in his hands, but he stops and smiles when he spots her.

'Hey you,' he says, getting up off the barrel.

'Hey,' she replies before she glances over at her step-dad's car.

'It's all fixed,' he tells her as she follows him over to where it's parked. 'I made it a priority over my many other jobs. . . I even came in earlier than usual this morning, just so I could try and get the work done.'

She can't thank him enough for all of his hard work, and pays him the money she's saved from her part time receptionist job in town, which is just about enough to cover the expenses, before she waits for the inevitable questioning to start. But it never comes. Instead he asks her if she wants to go with him to The Haven that evening, where he's apparently meeting his two friends for drinks. She knows it's a popular bar in the city that does the best beer and cocktails. She's heard Lily rave about it many times. But it's an invite which has come out of the blue.

She hesitates at his kind invitation. She had been so sure he would ask her about her mum and if she's always that drunk. 'I don't know,' she mutters. It depends if she's free, which really means it depends on what kind of mood her mum is in and if she's full on drunk or not. If she is Melinda can't leave her alone, as she's afraid of what she will do if left alone to her own devices. She doesn't want to patch her up again like last time. Even the memory alone still scares her. She can't go through something like that again.

'You don't have to decide now,' he tells her when he sees the hesitant expression on her face. 'I'm sure we'll be there all night, if you decide to join us later on.'

'Thanks. I promise I'll try and make it if I can,' she assures him, not wanting to disappoint him but pleased he's given her time to decide. She plans to see what her mum is like when she gets back from doing the food shopping. She would like nothing more than to join him and his friends for a drink at The Haven. 

Her step-dad's car sounds a lot better than it did the other day, and she smiles at how smooth it feels to drive again as she drives to the large supermarket. She tries not to let the amount of the food bill throw her once she reaches the till. She's glad she budgets for it every week.

When she arrives home she expects to find her mum passed out on the sofa, but is pleased to find she's up and about, and not as drunk as she usually is. Maybe she was worrying about nothing. She really does want to go to the bar and see Tristan again. All the time she was pushing her trolley around the food aisles she was thinking of him. She was thinking of his smile, his voice and the way he smells of engine oil and grease. She knows she had said it would be best if they don't see each other, but she can only relax when she's with him. Even when she goes out with Lily she finds herself constantly worrying about her mum. But she always forgets about her problems back home when she's with Tristan, and she's found she only enjoys herself when they're together.